Sri Lanka's Defence Secretary Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retd) represented the country at the 28th Annual Indo-Pacific Chiefs of Defence Conference held in Victoria, Canada.
The conference took place from August 31 to September 2, 2026.
It brought together defence and military leaders from around 30 countries for discussions on regional and international security issues.
The conference was co-hosted by Canada's Chief of the Defence Staff General Jennie Carignan and Commander of the United States Indo-Pacific Command Admiral Samuel J. Paparo.
This year's conference was held under the theme:
“Strengthening Collective Security: Navigating Challenges in a Dynamic Indo-Pacific Landscape.”
According to Sri Lanka's Ministry of Defence, the Defence Secretary participated in multilateral discussions and presented Sri Lanka's perspectives on evolving security conditions and emerging challenges in the Indo-Pacific region.
Discussions included opportunities for cooperation in areas such as:
- military training;
- capacity building;
- maritime security;
- cybersecurity;
- disaster preparedness; and
- professional military exchanges.
Thuyacontha also held bilateral discussions with senior defence officials from several participating countries on the sidelines of the conference.
Separate engagements during the visit included discussions on potential cooperation in defence technology, training, disaster response and related areas.
Sri Lanka's participation forms part of its continuing defence and security engagement with countries in the Indo-Pacific region.
However, participation in the conference itself should not be interpreted as the announcement of a new defence alliance or binding military agreement.
No major new bilateral defence treaty or binding commitment was announced as part of the conference participation covered by this article.